# Import and customs declaration: VAT, duty and settlements with customs

URL: https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/purchasing/import-customs/
Updated: 2026-11-06

> An import in Bimp is recorded in three steps: pay an advance to customs or a broker through a supplier order, create a goods receipt from the foreign supplier, and based on it, an "Additional costs" document with duty and VAT. The duty is allocated to the cost price of the goods, and the advance to customs is closed.

## How an import with a customs declaration is shown in Bimp

The full import cycle in Bimp consists of three documents: an advance to customs or a broker, a goods receipt from the foreign supplier and "Additional costs" with duty and VAT. This way the duty becomes part of the [cost price](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/costing/cost-price-guide/) of the equipment or goods, and settlements with customs (the state) or a broker (an intermediary) are visible separately from the debt to the foreign supplier.

**Example.** A company bought equipment in Poland. Besides the cost of the goods, it pays customs duty, which must increase the value of the equipment in the [warehouse](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/inventory/warehouses/). The "Additional costs" document lets you see profit with all related costs taken into account.

## Step 1. Advance to customs or a broker

Before the goods cross the border, transfer money to customs or a broker.

1. Open **Purchases → Supplier orders** and create a [supplier order](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/purchasing/purchase-order/) where the supplier is customs or a broker.
2. Based on the order, create a [supplier payment](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/purchasing/supplier-payment/). This is the advance payment.

> [!WARNING] You do not need to create a goods receipt of goods or services for this order: the advance is closed by the "Additional costs" document in step 3.

## Step 2. Goods receipt from the foreign supplier

When the goods have arrived and you have the invoice, create a [goods receipt](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/purchasing/goods-receipt/) from the foreign supplier for the received goods and save it. If the purchase is in foreign currency, see [Purchasing in foreign currency](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/purchasing/foreign-currency-purchase/).

## Step 3. "Additional costs" document with duty and VAT

[Based on](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/basics/create-based-on/) the goods receipt, create an "Additional costs" document, which accrues the customs payments.

1. In the goods receipt, click the **Create based on** icon and select **Additional costs**.
   ![Goods receipt no. 36 with a foreign supplier: the create-based-on menu is open, the "Additional costs" item is highlighted in red with an arrow; the items table is in USD with the "VAT" switch on](https://bimpsoft.com/help/_img/46e10231-d630-4d8e-8924-5d34fa3fa44f.webp)
2. In the "Supplier" field, select customs or the broker.
3. In the "Supplier order" field, select the order from step 1.
   ![The "Additional costs" document: supplier "Customs", contract, service "Customs duty", amount 5,000 UAH; the "Supplier order" field is highlighted in red, on the right a table of receipt items with the columns "Costs", "Batch", "Serial number"](https://bimpsoft.com/help/_img/9b053b82-f9c0-44fe-87bc-190d636cb4e5.webp)
4. In the "Allocate" field, select how to split the amount over the cost price of the goods: **By amount**, **By quantity**, **By weight** or **By volume**.
5. Specify the service amount, that is, the duty: it is allocated proportionally to the cost of the goods.
6. Specify the VAT amount. Whether VAT goes into the cost price depends on the company's accounting settings. See [Cost price without VAT](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/costing/cost-without-vat/).
7. Save the document.

> [!TIP] You can create the "Additional costs" document for several goods receipts at once: tick them in the journal and create the document based on them. You can write off the customs advance in parts rather than in full.

## Step 4. Checking the result

After the documents are posted, check:

- **Product card:** the unit cost price increased by the amount of the duty;
- [Settlements with suppliers report](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/reports/supplier-settlements-report/): the advance made in step 1 is closed;
- [Trial balance](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/reports/trial-balance-report/): there are no "hanging" debts to customs.

The general logic of the document is described in [Additional costs on a goods receipt](https://bimpsoft.com/en/help/purchasing/landed-costs/).

## FAQ

**How do I include duty in the cost price of imported goods?**

Create an "Additional costs" document based on the goods receipt, select customs or a broker as the supplier, and specify the duty amount and the allocation method. The amount is allocated to the cost of the goods.

**Do I need to create a goods receipt for customs or a broker?**

No. For customs or a broker you create only a supplier order and a payment (the advance). You do not record a "Goods receipt" document for them.

**Can I write off the customs advance in parts or across several receipts?**

Yes. You can create one "Additional costs" document for several goods receipts at once and write off not the whole advance but parts of it.